The 2026 Fall Democracy Summit is rapidly approaching, and its programming will feature a number of opportunities for students and staff at Colorado State University to engage in conversation and connection around democracy and civic engagement.
The Summit’s final event on Oct. 27 is a screening of the film, “Steal This Story, Please!” which covers the life and career of award-winning American investigative journalist Amy Goodman. Goodman will be in person for the screening and is scheduled to feature in a postfilm Q&A.
Goodman — who has spent her life reporting on international conflicts, corporate power, human rights and more — is the co-founder of Democracy Now!, an independent daily global news program that provides in-depth reporting and breaking news, which airs on more than 1,500 public TV and radio stations around the world, including Fort Collins Public Media and Colorado Public Television.
“Steal This Story, Please!” was directed by Academy Award-nominated filmmakers Tia Lessin and Carl Deal, whose film covers three decades of Goodman’s career.
“Amy Goodman has spent more than three decades holding the powerful to account, reporting from war zones and the Democracy Now! newsroom,” Lessin said in an email statement to The Collegian. “In putting Amy’s story to screen, we wanted to create not just a portrait of an extraordinary journalist, but an exploration of journalism itself — as a moral practice, a public trust and a lifelong calling.”
In an interview with The Collegian, Goodman said she recognized the value of independent journalism early on.
“Journalism is a powerful lens through which to see the world,” Goodman said. “I was lucky enough to find — at the beginning of my career — independent media. … I think that’s what journalists look for all their life.”
She highlighted the fact that the stories she has covered throughout her career and on Democracy Now! have been without the influence of the government, political parties or corporate interests.
“I thought it was really critical that we could do that when we cover war and peace, (it is) not to be brought to you by the weapons manufacturers,” Goodman said. “When we cover the climate crisis, (it is) not to be brought to you by the oil, gas and coal companies, but to be brought to people by the listeners, viewers and the readers.”
Goodman referenced the recent takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery by Paramount Skydance, an agreement that consolidates several major television and streaming networks such as CBS, CNN, Paramount+ and HBO Max into a single company. She said that the agreement is an example of the shrinking of the independent media ecosystem.
“Independent media is especially critical now when we see the corporate media consolidation,” Goodman said. “The public square is shrinking because the ownership is shrinking. We need independent media. I really do think that’s what will save us.”
Goodman also expanded on the current state of media, which she said is under attack in the United States. She cited examples from President Donald Trump, such as him referring to the media as the “enemy of the American people,” suing news organizations and banning certain organizations from covering the White House. Attacks on media, Goodman said, are what makes the film so critical.
“I think of community, college (and) public radio and television as sanctuaries of dissent, and I really do think that dissent is what will save us,” Goodman said.
Goodman described the film as a compilation of “the power of independent media.” Throughout its 102-minute run time, “Steal this Story, Please!” highlights a range of moments from Goodman’s professional and personal life, whether it be the opening scene in which she chases down Trump’s former chief climate adviser at a United Nations Climate Conference or a conversation with her grandmother.
“I didn’t like the idea of the cameras being turned on me,” Goodman said. “I’m usually working with the cameras focused on the people we interview, not on me, but I felt it was really important to get the word out about independent media, and this hour and 40-minute film could be shown all over the world.”
Last Spring, “Steal This Story, Please!” was released independently in 200 theaters across the United States and has since gone on to win both juried and audience favorite awards.
“What has meant the most to us is not the awards themselves, but what they signify — that this story about independent journalism matters to audiences, especially at a moment when press freedom, democratic institutions and the very idea of truth are under attack,” Lessin said.
The film highlights parts of Goodman’s mindset toward journalism. The title of the film is one of Goodman’s mottos and refers to her belief that media outlets should pick up each other’s stories.
Goodman said her background as a Jewish journalist has also shaped her beliefs about media coverage.
“I grew up in the shadow of the Holocaust, and some of my family survived, some of my family didn’t survive,” Goodman said. “I was deeply imbued with the idea of never again. And in our family, we took that to mean never again for anyone anywhere, and that’s how I lead my life. That’s why I investigate these very serious critical issues, whether we’re talking about Indonesia’s occupation of East Timor or Israel’s occupation of Gaza and the West Bank … (or) we’re talking about poverty in the United States, it is so important that we reflect what’s happening on the ground.”
She recalled Indonesia’s occupation of East Timor, which she covered alongside her colleague Allan Nairn. She said while she was reporting, Indonesian soldiers armed with weapons supplied by the U.S. opened fire, killing over 270 people.
“Then they beat us to the ground,” Goodman said. “My colleague, Allan Nairn, threw himself on top of me to protect me. They used their U.S. M-16s like baseball bats, and slammed them against his skull until they fractured it.”
Goodman and Nairn later returned to the United States to report on it.
“We thought that our presence as Western journalists would head off the massacre, but it didn’t,” Goodman said. “When we came back to the United States, we reported it, (and) Allan had a fractured skull. I thought it was really important that we — as American journalists — expose what’s done in our name. We were connected to this country so far away through the barrel of a gun and most people in the United States didn’t know it. That’s our job as journalists; (it) is to go where the silence is and say something.”
Following the 6:30 p.m. screening of “Steal This Story, Please!’” on Oct. 27, a live Q&A with Goodman and Lessin will be moderated by CSU President Amy Parsons. While the event is sold out, standby tickets will be issued at the event starting at 5:30 p.m. on a first come, first serve basis.
Reach Claire VanDeventer and Chloe Rios at news@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.
